for a better world...

More Vedder...

Less Vader...

These songs don't have no complex...

I heard CCR’s Lookin’ Out My Back Door on the radio the other day – it is one of my favorite songs that leave me wanting more, but appreciative of the beauty that can be found in a “quick little ditty” as Freddie might says (Live Wimbley 86’). It made me think of other short/great songs, so I sorted my iTunes by track length and picked a few of my favorite songs under 2 min in duration. Hope you enjoy and maybe you’ll go listen to the songs that you love – even if they are over to quickly.

Mercedes Benz – Janis at her best, my friends all drive practical cars (and maybe a couple corvette’s), but I’m not rich and I’m no longer 20 – so guess we have matured, some?!

Lukin  - Pearl Jam trying to speed jam the audience in to a group heart attack! No nobody knows what the hell the lyrics are to this song or many of Ed’s songs, but damn if your head doesn’t start to bang and your body to shake – take your pulse you might be dead already.

Golden Slumbers – It’s the Beatles, what music list doesn’t have a song from them?

Seven Seas of Rhye – Brevity not normally Queens thing and live this song could get jammed on good, but originally it’s short and to the point.

Soon Forget – Ukulele songs usually are short, but leave it to Ed to take a funny instrument and make a great song that sounds funny, but really isn’t.

That’s all, hope all are well, now go rock out or mellow out or whatever, just put on some tunes and enjoy. 

my least favorite thing to do at work

Being on the medical billing side of health"care" has its good sides and bad sides like any job. Plus side, I understand how the insurance company is trying to screw me when I get my eob's, down side there is still nothing I can do about it. Plus side, I don't deal with blood or vomit or shit, down side is some of the people who do make waaaayyyy more money than I do. I could go on as anyone with a job could, but my absolute least favorite thing to do is to key/update the death list. Everything in billing gets updated, so that when someone calls to say they paid that, we can say yes you did sorry for the errant bill or no you paid the June bill, but that is for the July bill etc etc etc. Well some of our clients are in fields where the majority of their patients are elderly and when you have a mass of elderly (and often terminally ill patients) it is very important to know their "status" for many billing reasons. So every 3 month's we get a list of accounts to update with -

Per office Patient is Deceased

It's kind of something that whoever has free time that day does and today was my day and it sucks. Well, I guess it is better than being on the other side of the message, but damn if doesn't make my mind wonder. I can't stop thinking how long the list is for a small small small little part of the world. I also wonder what those peoples life was like etc etc etc... Mostly it just makes me think about what I think everyone-all day-everyday is really trying to do (subconsciously or consciously), not think about the one certainty we can NOT avoid. Well, fuck, sorry to bring everyone else down with me, just a shitty part of the job.

I'll pass on...

I sit here at work on a Friday doing my work and listening to my music – just another day. For all my good qualities and all my faults – for anything I’d like to keep doing or I’d like to change. I want to pass on many things to many people in my life, but as I think of all the family and friends having families – all the kids I know from young adults, teens, kids, and babies – really two things stick out and I’m not the type that would sit someone down and tell them this or give any advice, but I’d like to think through example it would rub off (of course some of my examples I hope they miss or don’t rub off or as I tell my brother – can learn what NOT to do). Anyway, two things, simple easy things that many do naturally, but many fail to appreciate the importance of these two things – Art and Individualism.

I love art, mostly for music, movies, books and tattoos but I also love many other forms of art and surrounding myself with people who love art and can show me new things. My wife is incredibly crafty and creative; we met at a Halloween party hosted by a friend whose life is art. All of my close friends have a passion for some form of art and we share and learn from each other. Be wary of anyone who can’t tell you one type of art that is a passion in their life.

Individualism is the best word I could think of with my somewhat limited vocabulary to describe what I feel is one of my biggest strengths and sometimes one of my biggest weaknesses. Maybe it is akin to a religious idea of personal accountability. Many know or can figure out I’m not the biggest fan of religion, but I love and surround my self with many people who are or are very spiritual, because they come to it for the right reasons and not just because. Religion might be the best example of what I mean by individualism, make up your own mind – don’t let anything in this world make you a sheep. If you want to be believe ____________ believe it, but believe it because it was your thought or at least you thought about all the facts/information and decided this is what I think. This is the tougher of the two things because rarely will someone call you out on art, but there are way too many people who will test if you really want to say I’m pro this or anti that. Arguments over issues is as natural as things get, but being able to say why you feel one way, but with an open enough mind to listen to the opposing view (just in case your wrong or haven’t thought of everything) is independence.

Sadly many in this country (world) are standing on the right and left of the teeter-totter trying to swing things way too far one way or the other, I hope for more people to go back to standing in the center and thinking on their own.

Side note, music is the wildest art because one stupid little song can get your mind wondering in a far off tangent and then you start thinking about things get all emotional or inspired or just thoughtful and write down your thoughts, which for me is comforting, but for those I share them with may be troubling? Of course if they love you and care about you they will just ignore you, because they know how you are… and I am!

Now back to work, I have doctors to make richer, important work right? Remember, not everything one does can be a masterpiece.

We do love judging art...

Those that know me know I love tattoos, I have 6 and if I had unlimited money (and thus no need to get employment) I would probably look like an Ohio State football player! Too Soon? Anyway, tonight is a new show where tattoo artists will compete to see who is the penultimate in ink! What? Really, I watch some reality TV or contest shows and yes I watched Miami Ink and now NY Ink, but this might be the dumbest show in the history of television. Ironically it has Dave Navarro who was on the previous worst show in the history of TV - rock star supernova (or something like that not sure what the shows exact title was didn't watch and nobody else did either).

This is a subject for another/longer post, but if cable TV was a la carte there would be less than 15 channels on TV in under 3 years!

At last and completely off subject, but I have not been blogging a lot lately because it was a good Xmas season for books and I have been reading more than any other activity. So fear not the dozen or so of you that follow this blog, my recent good news will not deter me from rambling incoherently about nothingness - I'd guess it is more likely to add to my ramblings? I shall find out...

Sorry honey, hope 'recent good news' was vague enough. If not, no worries the few people that read this are in the know as some say. Ok, well who ever the unfortunate bastard is that has to read this for my file at the FBI/CIA/NSA/homosecurity is not 'in the know' but he/she probably can have scully and mulder track down the truth!

Oh lastly, the books, READ the Steve Jobs biography if you ever read a biography READ that one! Also, found a great short John Lennon picture/story book that was fun and I am half way through the latest Tom Clancy novel, his story line has continued strong with Jack Ryan Jr. being every bit the strong interesting character that Jack Ryan Sr. was in past novels.

Well that's all for now folks, ttyliihstswiad (talk to you later if i have some to say which i always do) for those not well versed in text short hand! Ok, I'll stop now, sorry, later. Done, really.

Happy last year!!

Wow I havent posted in so long, you are welcome! Actually just been busy as I'm sure all you diehard followers of mine have been as well. Hope everyone had a great holiday and is ready for this final year on earth. Anyone wanting to give me all their savings to go pray before the end times come I will gladly accept.

Anyway, ready for a good/big year. This is the best picture I've snapped so far, a good start!!